The Only Thing that Matters
by Homura Bakura
Summary: [complete] There are no more plots, no more schemes. Vector of Barian is, for the first time in his life, completely adrift after Astral restores him to life. What is there for him to do now? Perhaps the answer lies with the single person that ever considered him a friend...if he can bring himself to come to terms with the idea. [not foilshipping]
1. Rebirth

Upon opening his eyes, the first thing he had thought was _"I shouldn't be alive."_

The second thing he thought was _"my goddamn shoulder stings like hell."_

He pulled himself out of the thorny bush he appeared to have fallen into—what the actual hell, what kind of landscaper put this into a park. Because that's exactly where he was: the central park of Heartland City. A place he himself had never expected to see, less because he had died and more because, well, he had been about ninety-nine percent certain the city had gotten fused with the Barian World and was slowly being reduced to nothingness. Still, everything seemed the same. Same obnoxious bright colors and annoyingly sleek skyscrapers, same ridiculous humans with their ridiculous smiles playing Duel Monsters like it was just some kind of game.

Vector rubbed his shoulder, swearing slightly under his breath. What exactly had happened? What was he doing here, and how was he still alive? He could barely remember anything; it was a blur of red and pain and the feeling of his soul being rent to shreds inside the depths of Don Thousand's body.

It was the flashing image of a boy with softened eyes smiling at him and clinging to his wrist, refusing to let him go, whispering, _"yes, Vector. Let's go together."_

_Yuma._

Vector's eyes flicked upwards. He appeared to be the only one who had been dropped off in the park. He flexed his fingers. There was none of the Barian strength there that he was used to, and he could already feel the unfamiliar ache of hunger growling in his chest. So. He was human. Of course Astral would do a dumb, good-guy thing like that. He had used the Numeron Code to restore the Barian Emperors to human forms. It was just the sort of goody-two-shoes thing the star-bastard would do.

Despite his lack of Barian blood in his veins now, he could still sense a vague connection to the other six Emperors in the back of his head. They were elsewhere, far away—perhaps Astral had dropped him off farther away for a reason. He wasn't complaining. He didn't feel like facing anyone right now. They'd expect him to be all apologetic and willing to start over, whimpering stupid human things like "let's try again" and "let's be friends this time." Fuck that. As if. No amount of star-bastards bringing him back from the dead was going to make him want to be all friendly with any of them. He didn't owe them shit.

He stood up instead, brushing leaves from his dark leather jacket and smoothing orange locks out of his face. He could sense his fellow Barian Emperors somewhere to his back, towards the school. He bet they were all enrolled there now like the freaking goody-two-shoes they all were. That was the last place he was going to end up. Nah. Maybe he'd go back towards Persia again. Right, it wasn't Persia anymore, was it? Iran or Iraq or some shit like that. Humans were idiots, always having to rename everything.

_I am a human now,_ his treacherous brain whispered.

_No. I'm never going to be one of them ever again._

He flicked dust off his collar with a bit more vicious force than necessary. Damn Astral. Damn him for bringing him back. Why the hell had he done something like that? Astral didn't give a shit about him. The other Barian Emperors, maybe he could forgive. Not Vector. Not after what he had done to drive wedges between him and Yuma and enjoyed it—

_Yuma._

_A crimson-eyed boy smiling at him, looking so calm, so gentle in that moment. Just smiling._

"_Yes, Vector," he whispered. "Let's go together."_

Vector hesitated. He glanced back towards the direction of Heartland's school. His hands curled into fists inside his pockets.

"_Let's go together."_

It felt like something inside him started to deflate. His head sagged slightly. He closed his eyes for a moment—if he hadn't been certain that no one was looking, he might have stabbed himself for showing so much weakness.

"You idiot," he muttered. "You stupid, fucking idiot, Yuma Tsukumo."

He half opened his eyes again, staring at the ground.

_Bet you didn't want to bring me back, did you, Astral?_ He thought. _But you did. You did because..._

He clenched his jaw and almost growled.

_You brought me back because of him._

For a moment, he just stood there, glaring at the ground.

And then, abruptly, he turned on his heel and marched towards Heartland school.


	2. Unruly Thoughts

He didn't go inside. He just stood there in the courtyard facing the school for a few moments, carefully positioned in such a way that he knew Yuma would not be able to see him from his classroom window.

He told himself he was only here to confirm everyone that Astral had brought back with the Numeron Code. To make sure that they were all humans now, and there were no Barian Emperors left. He just wanted to make sure he knew what he might have to deal with if any of them decided to get even with him. Because if he was the only one that was human again, that would make everything a little more difficult if it turned into a fight.

Of course that wasn't the reason.

"_Let's go together."_

He almost growled.

Why? Why had that stupid kid done that? Why the hell—_how_ the hell did he have so much trust in him? Vector had _hurt_ him. Vector had done everything in his power to break him into pieces. And he would have laughed doing it.

He was an idiot. That was the only explanation. He was a stupid freaking imbecile that didn't know any better and didn't have a shit's worth of self-preservation. He didn't understand, he didn't get how the world worked, he was too stupid to know that he was just going to get broken against the wall of the world if he kept trusting and helping and forgiving—

There he was in the window.

Vector swore and ducked forward so that he was standing right against the school, in front of the doors. Had Yuma seen him? He didn't think so. At least, the boy didn't throw open the window and look all around. He hadn't seen him.

Vector swore as he breathed out. Why was his heart racing like that? He didn't give a shit if Yuma saw him, if he knew that he was back. He didn't give a shit.

"_Let's go together."_

Why? Why, why, why, why? Why had he been willing to die alongside him? After every damn thing he had done?

Vector had taught himself early on that there was no point in making allies. He didn't trust anyone for shit and he didn't expect anyone to trust him either. People were assholes, and Barian weren't much better. Everyone had their own agenda. Everyone was willing to kill and cheat and lie to achieve that, even if they thought their cause was more noble than the other. Even Nasch was willing to throw millions of lives into danger's way for the sake of avenging his dead sister, and he was supposed to be "noble of heart." Even Durbe, the laudable White Shield of the Barian, was more than willing to throw other lives in harm's way if it meant preserving his precious Nasch and Merag.

What was Yuma's agenda? What was he trying to gain?

Vector felt himself start to deflate again.

Nothing. Yuma didn't have one. Because he was stupid. His only...his only ulterior motive was everyone else's well-being over himself.

Vector lingered by the school for a little while longer. Then, when he was certain no one would see, he strode back across the courtyard and left it behind.

He would never know about the crimson-eyed gaze that would follow him silently from the window, one hand to the glass, half-smiling. He would never know about how the boy already knew he was back.


	3. What Am I Doing?

He found himself an alleyway and skulked for a little while. Once some upstart gang leader tried to start something with him. Vector didn't need his Barian strength to handle a human. Even in his weaker form he was still far stronger than an ordinary person—the gang leader and his two goons were easy pickings for him. The gang must have warned the others around because he wasn't bothered again.

He leaned against the cold stone, breathing slowly.

What was he going to do now?

The question had been knocking at the edge of his brain ever since he had first woken up but he hadn't wanted to acknowledge it. To acknowledge it was to admit that, for once, Vector the Mad Prince didn't have a plan. There was no one to manipulate, no strings to pull, no events to watch play out. He didn't have a single clue of what he was doing now. There was nowhere for him to go back. The time he had belonged to as a human had died out thousands of years ago, and his time as a Barian was over for good.

Damn that star-bastard for bringing him back. He probably would have thought this was funny, the Mad Prince of Barian lost and adrift in the human world, purposeless. Useless.

He growled under his breath. He had absolutely nowhere to go.

"You're late."

"Yeah, yeah, don't get yer panties in a twist."

Vector glanced lazily down the alleyway. A pair of human boys. One was a short but broad shouldered man in a casual suit; obviously older than the taller one despite his height. The other was slender, with long paper white hair in a ponytail and effeminate features that were somewhat contorted with irritability. He wore a school uniform Vector didn't recognize. The shorter of the two was handing an envelope to the taller. Vector snorted. Drug deal, he was sure. Humans were stupid. He started to push off the wall, not caring to watch a pair of idiots get themselves high as fuck.

"This is only half," the tall one said after peeking inside the envelope. His relatively pretty features were contorted with a scowl. "Where's the rest?"

"Ya get the rest after you finish the damn job."

"What, you don't think I can do it?"

"I think that maybe boss coulda chosen a better duelist to take on the WDC champion."

The taller boy's fingers tightened on the envelope. Vector hesitated. ….WDC?

"Should I take you out first, would that convince you?" the boy snapped. "I'll get your boss the Number cards. Make no mistake about that—and I'll expect to be paid for it."

Vector's fingers tightened in his pocket.

"Ya get what yer orders are, don't ya?" the shorter one said, ignoring the boy's veiled threat. "You get close to him, you figure out where the Numbers are, and you get 'em from him. Any method works. Ya wanna do it the honorable way and duel 'im for 'em, you do that. We don't care how you get them, just get them."

"I'm not stupid," the boy said.

He snapped the envelope shut and shoved it into his coat pocket.

"So tell your boss I'll get the damn job done. Happy?"

The short man snorted.

"I will be when those Numbers are in sight, kid. Get to it."

And with that, the man turned on his heel and stalked off, the boy's eyes boring into him. The boy growled softly. Then he, too, turned away and disappeared from sight.

Vector stood there for a long, long moment. Thinking.

It didn't matter. Yuma didn't even have the Number cards anymore. Except for Utopia, maybe. That guy wouldn't get anything out of Yuma. He probably wouldn't even be able to defeat the damn kid; stupid idiot had somehow gotten ridiculously good at the game.

And still, he didn't move.

For a long, long time.

It was just idle curiosity. That was all it was. A few bored questions asked to men behind bar counters about young duelists who might have white hair. It was curiosity alone that drove him to pickpocket a teenagers phone and use it to look up the name he had gotten. Curiosity that caused him to find out that the duelist's name was Kami Katto, that he was a former pro duelist who washed out about three years ago, that he registered a machine deck but it seemed to change every single match, that he was pretty damn good but kept getting in trouble for tiny rule infractions, that nearly everyone in the back alleys knew him as someone who wasn't afraid of the dirty stuff.

That he was an infamous street duelist for hire. That the police were too dumb to catch him, because he was good at covering his tracks.

That most of his targets had ended up in the hospital for months after he had gotten to them.

It was just curiosity. Really. Just curiosity. That was it.

_Fuck it._

He could justify looking the idiot up, but he was having trouble justifying this part. The one where he was standing at the edge of an alley, leaning against the wall with his arms folded and watching Yuma and his friends walk home from school. Eyes on the overly enthusiastic dork as he bounced around, talking to his friends about whatever shit he was excited about this time. Gaze flicking over to the white-haired duelist approach with a sweet smile that made Vector feel like gagging.

Vector watched from the alleyway as the boy introduced himself, all smiles and politeness, saying shit about being a big fan of Yuma's, which of course the idiot was lapping up like the ridiculous mutt he was. None of the other imbeciles seemed to guess anything either; they weren't in a war anymore, of course. They had no reason to mistrust; Yuma probably got approached by these idiots every single day.

Vector's fingers tightened unconsciously on his own arm. Kami Katto was a damn good actor, he had to admit. Kind, somewhat nervous smile as he asked Yuma to sign his autograph card. Yuma, of course, was practically glowing with the attention, and did so happily.

"_Yuma-san, would it be okay if I just saw Utopia just once? It's an amazing card!"_

"_Huh? Oh, well, if you just want to see it, that's fine—I understand wanted to see a card you like!"_

At least Nasch's lips twitched down a little bit at that, but the former Emperor of Emperors didn't seem unduly worried. Vector found himself tensing up for some reason. Yuma was reaching into his deck box and shifting through the extra deck to find Utopia. He held it out to Kami for the boy to see. Kami didn't actually take it from him, just looked at it appreciatively. Was he going to try and take the cards now, or would he bide his time?

He would bide his time, it seemed.

Vector actually relaxed a little bit as Yuma put the card away and Kami thanked him for letting him see.

"_The Number cards are so cool. Where did you even find them?"_

"_Ahh, that's a pretty long and crazy story, actually!"_

"_I'd love to hear it sometime, if that's all right!"_

"_Well...sure, I guess! Oh, hey, Katto-san, we were going to go to the park to hang out and duel and stuff, did you wanna come along?"_

"_Ah, I'd be honored, Yuma-san!"_

"Of course you would," Vector muttered. "Ass."

He realized then that he wasn't talking to Kami Katto in that moment.

He was talking to himself.

His fingers tightened on his arms again as he watched the dumb white-haired human follow along with the rest of the group, looking as happy as you please. Would he take the cards from Yuma tonight, then? Would he try and hurt him then?

It wasn't any of Vector's business, to be honest. Nasch would take care of him like the bleeding heart simpleton he was. Vector didn't give a flying fuck about what danger Yuma got himself into. _He_ was the trusting idiot. It was his fault if he got burned again.

It was his fault.

Why did he have to keep telling himself that?

The group was long out of sight by now. Vector felt his head droop slightly, eyes flutter shut for a moment. He could see that bright smile on Yuma's face when he had first met Kami Katto—when he had first met Rei Shingetsu. The broken look when Rei turned to Vector.

It sent an uncommon shudder down through Vector's spine.

"_Let's go together."_

"Fuck you," he whispered. "Get out of my head."

He pushed off the wall and started to walk towards the park.


	4. Not on my Watch

Ryoga "Shark" Kamishiro, once known as Nasch, was quite aware of Vector's presence. He had sensed the other former Barian a long time ago, and had been honestly surprised to sense him coming so close. What was he up to, he wondered?

Shark glanced surreptitiously back over his shoulder. He knew Vector was back there somewhere, probably hiding behind a tree in the slightly wooded part of the part. Watching. Watching who, though? And why? Shark had assumed the former Mad Prince would have kept his distance completely, or would have shown up just to rub his existence in everyone's face again. This felt...very out of character to Shark. And an out of character Vector was a strange Vector.

"Oy! Shark! Are you going to take your turn?"

Shark returned his gaze to the duel. Yuma was grinning at him, as carefree as always. Shark had to smile. Even after everything, the boy could still be so bright, so cheerful, such a light. Shark didn't know how it did it, but it was incredibly comforting. What was also comforting was the fact that they could have friendly duels once again, and he wouldn't have to worry about having his or someone else's life on the line ever again.

"Ha," he said. "Are you sure you want me to? I'm going to destroy you this turn."

Yuma grinned.

"Get over here and try!"

The new kid, Kami Katto, had just finished a duel with Tetsuo (had ended in a close loss for Katto), and was watching Yuma and Shark's duel with fascination. Geez, the last thing Yuma needed was another adoring fan following him everywhere, to inflate his already huge ego. The last time that had happened—

Shark hesitated even as he was drawing a card from his deck.

The last time that had happened, it had been Vector.

Shark finished the motion of drawing and looked at his cards, trying not to betray any emotion on his face. Kami Katto had shown up. Vector had been nearby. Kami Katto had come with them to the park. Vector had followed from a distance, without revealing himself.

Shark glanced over his shoulder as he placed a card onto his Duel Disk.

_Is something wrong, Vector?_ he thought. _Something you're not going to tell us yet?_

He wasn't sure what to make of Vector right now. He had been a complete enemy to him—had tried to kill him and Rio more than once. He had broken the bonds of the Barian Emperors with his own dark ambition. He had hurt Yuma dishonorably instead of taking him on in a fair fight.

And then at the end, he had let himself die rather than take Yuma with him.

_What are you up to, now?_ He asked silently. _What plan are you implementing?_

* * *

Vector had absolutely no idea what he was doing.

He leaned against the tree, just listening to the sounds of dueling behind him. His fingers twitched a bit with vague excitement—the thought of dueling actually interested him. But he stilled the battle instinct. It would do him no good now.

Yuma won his duel against Nasch. No surprises there, the kid was freaking fantastic at this game all of a sudden.

"_Ah, Katto-san! Do you wanna duel?"_

"_R-really, Yuma-san? I would be honored!"_

Vector actually felt like he was going to throw up hearing that sickening sweet voice from Katto. He had half a mind to whip around this tree right now and—

And what, exactly? Why was he here? What was he listening for, hanging here for, what the hell was he doing? What was his plan? He didn't know what to do with himself without a plan.

He peeked around the tree where Katto and Yuma were getting their D-Gazers online. Would it be now? Would Katto say something about betting the Number cards now?

He watched the duel from his position but...nothing happened. Absolutely nothing. Yuma actually made short work of Katto. It was like the boy wasn't even trying. Yuma didn't even need to XYZ summon.

"_You're really good, Yuma-san! I didn't stand a chance!"_

"_It's just a lot of practice! You'll get the hang of it!"_

Maybe Vector had worried for nothing. Wait, what? He wasn't worried. Why they hell would he be worried?

_That broken face staring blankly at him, a refusal to believe in his eyes. It was impossible to this boy, impossible that anyone could do such a thing as betray a friend like this._

_That smile, trusting, open, kind, compassionate, forgiving._

"_Let's go together."_

This time Vector squeezed his wrist so hard that his nails actually broke the skin in one place. He stared down at the blithe face of Kami Katto, who smiled and fawned appropriately, just a little too appropriately, saying all the right things and making all the right moves. No one suspicious of him at all—a master of misdirection, of the innocent disguise. No one would see it coming—not until far too late.

Vector felt something inside him tighten.

_Like hell._

Vector had to hand it to Kami Katto—the boy was incredibly patient. It was two weeks before Vector noticed something out of the ordinary start to happen.

Yuma was by himself; a rare occasion. Walking home after school, actually humming a bit to himself, looking spaced out. Most of his idiot group had clubs, Merag was off somewhere with friends, Nasch and Durbe had classroom cleaning duty (the nerds), the other Barian Emperors were doring their own thing. It was just Yuma today.

And Kami Katto.

"Yuma-kun!"

Yuma perked up at the sound of his "friend's" voice, and turned to meet the boy that ran up to him.

"Oh, hey, Kami-kun!" he said. "I didn't know you were out yet!"

"No club meeting today," the boy lied easily. Vector knew he was lying; he had been watching the damn kid for about two weeks and knew the guy didn't even have a club to begin with; he didn't even go to school anymore. "Wanna go some place?"

"Sure!"

This damn imbecile, couldn't he see how fake the kid's smile was?

Vector followed the pair down to the park.

"How come I don't see you use the Numbers a lot?" Katto said. "They're really powerful, aren't they?"

"Well, yeah, but a lot of them actually belong to a friend of mine," Yuma said, grinning. "He has most of them right now. I just have all the Utopias."

"Oh, really?"

A slight darkness passed over Katto's face. It cleared before Yuma could notice.

"That's too bad! They're really cool; I wanted to see them."

"Yeah, but I've got a lot of other cool XYZ monsters too! And once my friend comes back I'll be sure to let you see them."

"Right," Katto said.

_This mission is taking you too long, isn't it, _Vector thought with a satisfied sneer. _Sucks to suck, fucker._

The pair had a few duels, again, Yuma won all of them easily. Vector could see now, though, that Katto was doing that on purpose. What was his game right now?

"Aaah, Yuma-kun, I'm too tired to duel any more," Katto said with an exaggerated moan. "You're just too good."

"You're getting better!" Yuma said. Goddamn he was so cheerful.

"Are you thirsty, Yuma-kun?" Katto said. He pulled out a pair of water bottles from his bag.

Instantly, all of Vector's senses kicked into overdrive.

"Ah, thanks, Kami-kun!"

Yuma accepted the bottle offered to him. It was hard to tell, but Vector thought it looked a little cloudier than the other one. Yuma started to turn the cap, but struggled for a moment to open it.

"Do you need help with that?" Katto asked.

"Nah, just a second..."

Vector hardly knew what he was doing. He pushed out from the woods and walked idly towards the pair. Yuma's face was going a bit red from trying to open the bottle, but the second he saw Vector, he stopped and his eyes widened.

And then he smiled. Like the goddamn idiot he was.

Never mind the sudden explosion of warmth in Vector's chest. Ignore that.

"_Vector_!" he said, forgetting the bottle and running over to him. "I thought—wow! It's been _week_, where have you been?"

The boy actually _threw_ his arms around Vector.

Vector rolled his eyes.

"Eehhh, Yuma, did you really think I kicked the bucket so easily?" he said, pushing Yuma off him lazily.

"Why haven't you come to see anyone yet? We missed you!"

Vector had to half grin at that.

"I'm sure they were just _dying_ to say hello," he said.

And while Yuma wasn't paying attention, he picked the bottle cleanly out of Yuma's hands and tucked it out of sight. Yuma was so excited right now that he didn't even notice that the bottle was gone.

"Ah, let me introduce you! Kami-kun, this is my friend Vector! Vector, this is Kami Katto!"

"Charmed," Vector drawled.

He made quick note of the irritation that flashed across Katto's eyes, and Vector pushed his grin a little wider.

_I'm on to you_, he tried to convey with that smile. He wasn't sure if Katto got the message.

Katto smiled blithely.

"Nice to meet you, Vector-san," he said.

Yuma was so excited that he was actually bouncing up and down.

"Where are you staying? Have you talked to anyone else yet? What have you been doing for the past two weeks? Are you going to come to school with everyone? Ah, are you still dueling?"

He was such a goddamn idiot. The last time they had spoken was the day that Vector had died, and almost decided to take Yuma with him. They had left without even a single apology for what Vector had done, and Vector wasn't planning on offering one. Yuma wasn't even asking for one...he was just...Yuma. Bright, idiotic, cheerful Yuma.

As Yuma continued to talk, barely letting Vector get a word in, Vector's eyes rolled over towards Katto. The boy was actually starting to lose his composure, looking more and more irritated by the second. Vector smiled broadly at him. Then he took the water bottle from behind his back, popped it open easily, and downed the whole thing in front of him.

"And—hey! Vector, that was mine!"

Vector wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and grinned tossing the empty bottle to Yuma.

"Well, you should have been paying more attention," he said.

He pushed Yuma's head a bit playfully.

"I just came to say hello. I'll be going now."

"Huh? Already?"

Yuma's face actually crumpled a bit. Vector snorted.

"Don't make such a puppy face, Yuma~kun," he said. "I'll be back later. I have something...else to do."

He was starting to feel dizzy already. Whatever had been in that bottle hadn't been good if it was already affecting his somewhat enhanced human body.

"Promise?" Yuma said, making the most ridiculous puppy face ever.

"I don't do promises anymore," Vector said in a singsong voice. "Later, Yuma-kun~...Katto-kun~"

He sent one last grin towards Katto. This time, he thought maybe his message got across.

_Touch him and I'll kill you._

Then Vector spun around and sauntered away.

He waited until he was safely hidden behind the trees before he let himself collapse into a shaking puddle of goo. He could feel all his muscles losing their ability to tense up. Whatever this drug was, it was fucking nasty, and it was completely shutting him down, making his mind go all goopy and his thoughts slow down to a crawl.

He raged at the limitations of this fucking human body. It refused to respond to him.

But the anger that ran even deeper, the one that he wasn't sure he wanted to admit to but knew he would, was reduced to one, single thought.

_That bastard had been about to give this shit to Yuma._


	5. The Only Thing that Matters

It took Vector almost two days before he was able to get back up again. Two days of half consciousness, in which he had a feeling that he wouldn't have had the presence of mind to answer anything but the truth if anyone had asked him a question. Nasty, nasty stuff. Truth serum and muscle relaxant all at once.

Luckily, Yuma hadn't been alone again for those days. Good thing the kid had so many friends.

Vector tried not to think too hard about what he was doing as he stood himself back up and regained his balance. Tried not to think too hard about the fact that the plans spiraling through his head were all about Yuma, about keeping the idiot out of trouble, about keeping people like Katto from getting too close to him, about _making sure he never made that broken face ever again—_

Because if he thought too hard about it, he would start to question his own sanity.

"_Let's go together."_

"You're not going anywhere, idiot," Vector hissed. "Not on my watch. Not ever."

Perhaps it was true. Perhaps he couldn't function without some kind of obsession.

He wasn't sure he regretted this one right now.

* * *

There would be no waiting for Katto to make his next move. It was time for Vector to take the initiative.

He found Yuma with the others on their way to school that morning. Yuma was such a goddamn idiot. He was so happy to see Vector again after two days that he didn't notice Vector unclipping the deck box from his belt while the younger boy hugged him again. Geez, he was huggy.

The deck was held tightly against his chest, under his coat, as he made a new excuse to flit away after his second hello. It was easier this time, as Nasch was giving him a suspicious look and Merag and the other Barian Emperors weren't much better.

Now all there was to do was to wait for his prey.

It didn't take long. Katto separated from the group after they headed to school, since he "went to a different school." Fucking liar. Vector watched his face distort back into a scowl as soon as the others were all out of sight. He stalked away past Vector's hiding place.

"Oooy," Vector said in a singsong voice. "Are you looking for something~?"

Katto froze. His eyes flicked to were Vector was standing in the alley. Where he was danging Yuma's deck box from one finger. Katto's eyes narrowed.

"How did you—"

"Guess my fingers are a little more nimble than yours," Vector laughed. "You want this, don't you? That's what you've been after the whole time."

Katto frowned.

"What are you up to? Aren't you Yuma's friend?"

The question actually surprised Vector. Yuma's friend?

"...Guess I am," he said, finally. "Which is why I'm confronting you, Katto-kun."

"This looks like you're offering me the Numbers," Katto said. "Not confronting me."

Vector grinned. Perhaps some of his madness showed through, because Katto flinched a little.

"You want them?" he said, quietly. Predatorily. "Duel me for them."

And he laughed as he ran down the alleyway. He heard Katto swear, and then the sound of feet taking off after him. Yes, good, follow the bait.

Vector didn't stop until he had reached the dead end. He had chosen his battlefield carefully—enclosed, isolated, only one exit. He turned with a smile to face the red-faced Katto.

"What the hell are you up to?" he said. His hands twitched towards his jacket—a weapon, perhaps? "You're trapped now, asshole. What's going to stop me from just _taking_ them?"

"What indeed?" Vector asked, feeling almost giddy. Oh it was good to be doing something again, something annoying and irritating and harmful all at once! "So what's it going to be? Will you duel me with the Numbers on the line?"

Katto hesitated. Then he smirked.

"Why should I have to?" he said. "When I've got you cornered?"

Oooh, this _was_ going to be fun.

Katto's hand dove into his jacket and he pulled out a small flip knife, clicking it into place. Vector was almost disappointed.

"Really? A knife?" he said. "At least make it interesting and make it a gun."

"Shut the hell up and hand them over," Katto said.

"Out of curiosity, is this what you planned on doing to Yuma eventually?" Vector drawled.

Katto shrugged.

"Doesn't matter, does it? I have more than one way of retrieving the goods I'm sent for. Hand them over or I'll cut up your pretty face."

"Ooooh, you think I'm pretty?" Vector said, clapping his hands to his cheeks with a giggle. "How nice of you!"

It was obviously that Vector's madness was starting to unnerve Katto—good. He liked the vaguely nervous look on the boy's face. Vector's grin widened as his hands dropped to his sides again.

"It does matter, actually," he said. "What you were planning to do to Yuma. Because that'll change my...reaction to things."

Katto approached slowly, knife in front of him. He held it expertly, that was for sure. At least he knew what he was doing.

"If you hadn't interfered that last time, he wouldn't have to get hurt," Katto said. "Just go out for a little while, tell me where the other Numbers were, I'd take his without a fight. You made things more difficult."

"Oh, bad me," Vector said, mock hitting himself on the head. "Bad, bad Vector. So rude, I should stop that."

"So yeah, if it had come down to it, I might have had to cut him up a little," Katto said, sounding particularly savage, grinning at the thought. "Wouldn't have minded, either. He's a goddamn idiot. He trusts me so easily, he fucking deserves getting screwed over."

Vector's smile faded very, very slowly. The world probably got two degrees colder, because suddenly, Katto's smile also slipped, and he shivered.

Vector gave him the tiniest, darkest smile.

"Why thank you," he said quietly. "I don't feel so bad about what I'm going to do now..."

Katto did not know what was coming. One moment he was standing in front of Vector with a knife, the next moment, he was slamming into the ground, the wind rushing out of him, and a foot slamming down on his diaphragm. He gasped.

Vector stood over him, lazily flipping the knife in his hands, considering Katto with a dark gaze. It felt, all of a sudden, as though all the shadows were alive. Snaking around him, watching with a dark curiosity.

"I could kill you," Vector said, in a dark voice that told Katto that he was absolutely considering it. "I could kill you, and no one would ever know about it. You see, I don't really exist in the government...since I only came back to life a few weeks ago, and I never had any documentation..."

The fear on Katto's face was absolutely delicious.

"So what was that you were saying? About Yuma _deserving_ to get screwed over?"

"I—I didn't mean that—it's just a job—"

"Mmmm, you think that's a good excuse, huh?"

Vector leaned down towards him, letting the shadows grow and build, and coalesce into the vague shape of his ax-wielding ka monster. He drew the knife against the boy's face for a moment, letting it rest on his neck. For a moment, he imagined driving the blade all the way through, watching the blood splatter, the life drain out of his eyes, the terror frozen on his face for the rest of eternity, his limbs spasming underneath Vector's grip.

He almost did it. It was almost too tempting to ignore.

"_Let's go together."_

Yuma's face exploded into the back of his mind. The hurt that would be there, if he knew what Vector had done.

Yuma would have forgiven this bastard too, if he had known there was something to forgive.

Vector released his ka monster. He stood up and threw the blade to the ground beside Katto's head.

"Get up," he said. "Get out of here."

Katto didn't move for a moment, still staring death in the face. Then he scrambled to his feet, forgetting the knife.

Vector grabbed him by the collar first, before he could run. He pulled the boy's face in right by his.

"If you ever get near Yuma again, if you ever even think about touching him...I will not hesitate to kill you."

He smiled then, putting on his best Rei Shingetsu face.

"Are we clear?"

Katto nodded furiously, his face as white as his hair. Vector smiled again, and released him.

The boy fled. Vector watched him go with a little disappointment. Geez. He had gone fucking soft, hadn't he...?

After a few long minutes, he headed back to the end of the alley. The light that had been blocked by the buildings washed over his face, and he sighed. Well. That had been far too anti-climatic. Katto hadn't even put up much a fight.

"Gah! Where is it, where is it, where is it?"

Vector glanced up. He had to grin at the frantic face of Yuma as the boy barreled into view, scrabbling across the ground.

"Oy, Yuma-kun," he said, holding up the deck box. "I think you dropped something."

Yuma looked up. His face exploded into a smile.

"You found it!" he said.

He caught the box that Vector tossed to him and did a happy twirl.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he said. "Geez, I need to keep a better grip on my stuff! Thanks for finding it, Vector!"

He was such an idiot. Gleaming, young face that looked up at Vector, the dark, twisted, broken Vector that didn't deserve such a smile. Did he see that darkness? Vector knew he did. He had already, so many times. Yuma knew exactly what he was.

He smiled at him anyway.

"Gah, I have to get back to school! Sorry, Vector, I've gotta run! Talk to you later!"

Vector sighed with a smile. He bopped Yuma on the head.

"W-wha? What was that for?"

"Don't change, idiot," Vector said, walking past him.

"H-huh?"

But Vector was already walking away.

"_He's such an idiot...he deserves to get screwed over."_

Vector smiled and shook his head.

"Hell yeah he's an idiot," he muttered. "But he's _my_ goddamn idiot."

_And no one will _ever_ touch him again._

He hadn't known what he was going to do with himself when he came back. He had never expected this to be the purpose that he found. But it didn't feel strange, and he no longer felt guilty about it. Because he knew for certain now, that he had found it:

The only thing that mattered.


End file.
